Beyond the dawn

Over a decade after dealing with the volturi, Bella and Edward have settled into family life. Vampire blood burning in her veins, Bella is restless despite the treaty with the pack, and when a neighbouring wolf pack crossing La push territory threatens to change everything forever no one walks away unscathed

10. Chapter 9 ~~ The crux of the matter

Bella.

Instead of a future that was supposed to be all new, the feeling of deja vu was prevalent in our lives. Yes at present Edward and I were in the dark about exactly what the threat to our daughter might be, but we knew full well that there was one. We sat around the fire in our little cottage, Renesmee sat on the rug voraciously reading one of the many classics that adorned our bookcase, although Edward and I had read them all at her various bedtimes she loved to hear the words in her own voice. I gazed at her wistfully, she had grown again since Carlisle's measuring a few short days ago, and was turning into a young woman before our very eye's. To be robbed of a childhood with her was something I had known was to happen from the very beginning, but now it seemed I was to robbed of those early teen years also. Something I am sure many mothers would say they could do without, but I for one would cherish.

Waiting for news from Jacob was turning into an age, and the desire to run to the meeting place and pounce on him as he exited was becoming more and more tempting. Sensing my growing anxiety I felt Edward's hand nudge under my button down shirt and lightly trail up and down my back in a gesture of comfort. I pressed my body that little bit closer, trying to keep my focus on the fire that hissed, and popped in the stone hearth, merely for setting purposes of course. I don't even remember what it is like to feel the cold. I followed Edward's eyeline to Renesmee'sbeautiful tumbling dark curls, and maturing features. I caught the slightest furrow of his brow until he saw me staring in his peripheral vision, and all traces of the lines in his forehead were smoothed away. I tapped my foot impatiently, shifting to the edge of my seat. And pulling at the length of my unchanging hair.

What was taking so long? Sure you could count on the shapeshifters to be buzzed about, and draw out a fight but this was getting ridiculous! I was about to turn to Edward and suggest we leave Renesmee with Alice and run to the location, when the phone buzzed beside me. Jacob's name flashing on the screen.

The café

Jacob.

He disabled the snarling Daniel easily, and Malik echoed Sam's command he halt. Standing down to his alpha's request his eye's burned with resentment, wanting me so bad it was like acid in his mouth. Sam released him , but held firm as I strained against his attempt to hold me there. A streak in my peripheral vision as Leah entered the cafe and taking in the scene before her, whipped around to look into my face. Her eye's found mine as my tunnel vision slipped away ;

" Jacob let's get out of here. Figure out our next move as a pack, there's always another day to fight, didn't you send me away to keep things calm and civil?"

In spite of her words, my body trembled uncontrollably, and things had been set in motion I could not pull back from now. Leah nodded imperceptibly as she understood the gravity of the situation in that moment. She stepped back, and I felt Sam back away too. " Jacob!" they both shouted. I roared in outrage, another shudder and a convulsion heaved through my body. I threw my head back a real growl tearing from between my teeth. I fell forward vibrating violently, and half way to the ground a loud ripping noise filled the air. Black and white pieces of cloth burst upward, and gold and honey hued fur broke from me, as I coalesced into a shape five times my size. My large paws clicking on the linoleum as they hit, a massive crouched shape ready to spring. My muzzle wrinkled back over my teeth and another growl rolled from my colossal chest. My dark enraged eye's fixed on Malik .His expression was unconcerned as his entire pack swarmed around him ready for his command. Leah was right, and my head was full of her and Sam's voices intertwined as they repeated that my timing was lousy, and I had to get out of there. I knew they were right.

With a snarl I swiveled around and leapt onto the counter using it as a stepping stone, to give me a platform from which to jump. I saw the back window , one facing the alley that we saw the rat disappear down . Pushing off from my back paws I leapt into the air, smashing through the glass and landing softly on the other side, the broken shards raining down upon me . The smell to my wolf senses was overwhelming, like a thousand cats had all come here to do their business. I snorted the putrid air from my nostrils and ran like hell to find somewhere to calm down and phase back before someone caught sight of a huge golden wolf in an urban alleyway.

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Leah shook her head as she stared at the gaping hole where the window had been.

" Holy shit Jacob what did they say to you?"

She turned to Sam and Seth, as Sam whispered the condensed version of the conversation between Malik and Jacob rapidly. her lips pressed into a tight angry line she nodded , her dark eye's wide and flashing with anger. She drank in the horrific predicament this left Jacob and his little vampire family in. Jacob is an alpha, and not just any alpha but the grandson of Ephraim Black. It runs in his family as far back as the Quileute legends go, how is anyone going to tell him he can't have a family with his future mate! This is never going to end well. Leah thought to herself.

Who is this tribe anyway, that has the gall to come here and....

Her rant and mind link tirade to Sam was cut short as she turned to study the Kalaloch tribe. Malik was standing deathly still his eye's fixed on her now full countenance as she turned. A warm, unfamiliar feeling passed through her, and her lips parted, every nerve ending in her body was tingling as the world for her, and for Malik stopped spinning. They imprinted at the exact same time upon each other. Her pupils dilating as she stared into eye's that smoldered with intensity. Malik fell to his knees before her, and everyone, and everything else in the room fell away . Leah thought that this moment would never come for her, and now this tall, blonde stranger was about to become her everything!

" Uh- Oh! Did what I think happened just happen here?" Said Seth , pointing to his flushed sister. Sam's expression was solemn as he appraised the unexpected scene and turned to answer Seth,

" Yes I think so." He said, his voice cracking a little as he rubbed his temple. Whispers and giggles swept down the line at the cafe's counter as snarky comments passed between the Quileute boys. Sam clicked his fingers in annoyance.

" Embray! Enoch! Gather up the remains of Jacob's clothes, get the spares from the car and go find him so he can change before he gets arrested for public indecency out there. " Sam ordered, his eye's still fixed on Leah and Malik, who was now getting to his feet in front of a dumbstruck Leah.

How exactly were they going to explain to Jacob his second in command was now the mate of the alpha to the tribe that just announced they would ' kill his children?' However seeing Leah imprint finally after all this time was a huge burden of guilt lifted from Sam's shoulders. He winced as his warring emotions got the better of him. He owed it to Leah to let her have this, regardless of the consequences. He would deal with what this meant for Jacob later.

" Let's go." he said firmly to his pack.

Seth looked at him, a question on his slightly parted lips ; Sam shook his head, kept the mind link firmly closed, and ushered him toward the door with the rest of the retreating pack members. For the first time since setting eye's on Leah, Malik quickly scanned the room and took in the situation. He flicked a grateful glance at Sam, who answered with a flash of teeth and a hint of a snarl, making his conflicted emotions clear. Malik clicked his fingers, summoning Daniel who leant in for his orders. A hushed whisper into his ear, and Daniel nodded before giving a sharp whistle to his pack mates, who quickly hustled out the cafe door after Sam's tribe. Soon they were alone.

Leah's breath caught in her throat, and her pulse raced. She struggled to order her thoughts into speech as he drank her in, taking larger savoring breaths.

" What's your name?" Malik asked her, touching her face softly, and tracing her features with his thumb saving her lips for last, and grazing over them gently. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to speak. 'Dammit! when was she ever lost for words?'

" Leah." She croaked hoarsly.

" le--ahhh!" He drawled as if he had never heard a word as beautiful. He reached for her hand hanging limply by her side.

" Come with me? " He begged.

" I...I... Can't " She stuttered.

" What do you mean you can't? You have to! I need you to be with me...now." He said incredulous.

" Jacob. I have to talk to Jacob first....he won't...I mean, he has to hear this from me. I want to..." Leah said. He stepped closer closing the distance between them as if he couldn't stand it a moment longer, his breath warm on her face as an electric jolt of desire shot through her. She felt lightheaded as he eyed her lips, licking his own as if he couldn't wait to taste her. Determined to finish her sentence she closed her eye's momentarily as though blocking him from her vision would break the spell she felt he had cast on her.

"....But I have to see Jacob first, see he understands." She said more firmly this time, trying to convince herself as much as him.

Malik groaned softly, hooking her belt with his fingers and pulling her against him. She gasped. A flicker of irritation on her face at his forwardness, but her body responded differently. Butterflies fluttering in her stomach, pupils dilated, and feeling utterly tongue tied. His eye's never left hers and before she knew what was happening his lips were on hers in a kiss that set her alight body and soul.

Using every last bit of her willpower she broke away from him with a startled gasp.

" I....I have to go...now!" She told him, pushing his chest and whirling toward the door, as she ran into the street completely disorientated, heart pounding in her chest.

Malik stood completely immobile for a second, gazing after her. A growl of frustration, and he too ran for the exit. Using all his agility, he ran through the back alley behind the cafe locating his pack with his senses and calling to Daniel through their mind link. He gave him his orders, and sped toward his waiting car.

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Leah slowed as she gathered her bearings, her mind in agonizing turmoil as she used all her willpower not to turn around and leap into her new mates arms. She felt physical pain leaving him already after just finding him after all these years of longing. Jacob...her loyalties were supposed to be with Jacob. This was her alpha's enemy?? Wasn't he? What would Jacob say? She knew he would not try and keep them apart, not for a second, but the feeling of betrayal weighed heavy on her heart. She turned the corner and before she could look up to engage with her surroundings a iron grip wrapped her from behind in a bear hug. She felt the knotted lumps of his muscles bulging against her back, as he lifted her clean off her feet and swung her toward the mouth of another nearby alleyway. She screamed with fury as he carried her toward a waiting silver Mercedes, as she bucked and twisted in his unrelenting grip. She craned her neck at an impossible angle to see who held her and confirm her suspicions that Daniel was her abductor. He grunted with the effort of restraining her wild thrashing, and snapping teeth as she tried to bite his thick corded neck. From the waiting car Malik laughed with delight at his loves fierce protests, she was something else he thought, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

Still protesting violently, Leah hissed as he bundled her into the car beside Malik.

" Get off me you great lunk!" She yelled as he retreated quickly from her clawing hands.

" I'm so sorry honey, but now I've found you I'm not about to let you walk away before we've even gotten to know each other." Malik told Leah , as she huffed in indignation at his unorthodox treatment of her. She was not happy about being overruled this way, but even as her temper roared, her pulse quickened at the proximity of him. She bit her lip and said nothing, hoping he could not hear her thundering heartbeat as the car sped away.

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Jacob pushed his cell phone firmly back into his pocket, breathing out a shuddering sigh. He had better get back to the house before Bella and Edward lost every last vestige of patience and intercepted him for the rest of the story, he thought. The phone call had gone just as he had expected it would...badly. Although he did detect a modicum of relief in Bella's voice when she realized Renesmee was not under any physical threat. He ached to be back with her, basking in her presence and hanging on her words as she told him some story Carlisle had told her, or running through the forest her laughing in delight as they sped through the pine littered underbrush. He nodded to Embray and Enoch to gesture they leave , and they headed to the various waiting vehicles. Their constant chattering was irritating to him, and he longed to go for a run in wolf form to figure out what was to be done about this whole mess. No one was going to tell him he could not have a family, the thought of denying Renesmee that right crushed him .

Renesmee's growth was not showing any signs of slowing down, and her age and development in human years equaled approximately sixteen. Jacob's decision had already been made the very second the words left Malik's mouth. The challenge now was convincing the Cullen's, but they were leaving Fork's. ALL of them.